I have always been amazed at how poorly many, if not most, firms handle requests for quotes (RFQs). Over the years I have done a lot of competitive shopping over the phone. Typically if I called 10 companies and asked for a quick, simple quote, only about two would...

Have you heard of The Deadly Law of Attrition? If not, I may shock you with this statement: You are going to lose your best customer. It’s not a matter of if; it’s a matter of when. My first boss told me this when I was a young, successful salesman. He was eventually...

You can’t sell from an empty wagon. If you aren’t too busy, you aren’t busy enough. Keep all the balls in the air. Don’t cry over spilled milk. If you want something done right, give it to a busy person. What are the other metaphors that could apply? Too often I find...

No, I am not talking about George Carlin’s “Seven Words You Can’t Say on Television.” If you actually can repeat those seven words, you’ve been around as long as I have! I am talking about these words that I’ve heard a time or two when visiting small business owners:...